The field of the disclosure relates generally to an alignment and loading system for coupling components to a vehicle, and more particularly, to a system and method that enables a single operator to align a component for attachment to a vehicle.
Various known vehicles, for example aircraft, may include a variety of externally attached payloads. More specifically, some known aircraft employ externally attached engines, munitions and/or armament systems such as, for example, missiles, rockets, and/or bombs, which are generally referred to as stores. In addition, other types of payloads, such as auxiliary fuel tanks and mounting racks, may be suspended from the underside of aircraft for use during flight operations.
Some known handling equipment for loading and unloading munitions, armaments, and other payloads, hereinafter referred to generally as “components”, onto and off of aircraft pylons conventionally provide a trailer-type apparatus that is towed behind a truck or tractor. After the payload is placed on the trailer-type apparatus, the truck or tractor tows the apparatus to an aircraft where the apparatus is positioned beneath a location on the aircraft such that the component can be elevated into a loading position for attachment to the location on the aircraft by a fork-lift type mechanism on the trailer-type apparatus. During loading operations using such known lift vehicles, the lift operator's vision of the component's lugs and the aircraft's pylon hooks may be typically obscured, which requires additional ground crew personnel to be present to view the loading operations and direct the lift operator for proper positioning of the components prior to attachment with the vehicle.
It would be advantageous to provide a single operator positioning system for use on such lift vehicles that overcomes the lift operator's limited line-of-sight while providing direct alignment feedback to the lift operator during component attachment operations. Such a system would greatly reduce the costs associated with having multiple personnel assisting the loading of stores and/or payload while also reducing the risk of injury associated with performing such duties. It would also be advantageous to provide a component positioning system that would increase efficiencies and reduce the time and manpower typically required to load the stores/payload during time-critical loading operations, for example, in a war-type environment.